PEOPLE of Nowhere. This Story May Give You Some Perspective On What A Refugee Has Experienced

People of Nowhere

I have heard and read different opinions about the wave of Syrian refugees who try to make their way in to the EU. Then I went to Lesvos. 7 days on the Greek Island gave me a healthier, human perspective on the situation.

Seeing the people behind the headlines with my own eyes, and feeling their deep struggle, broke my heart.

Are they the “threat” people talk about? All I saw were courageous people in a time of crisis, looking for hope.

I also got to meet brave volunteers from all over the world who reach out to help all people regardless of their religion, race or background. That inspired me.

My hope is that this video might tear down some of the walls of bad ideas and opinions we have built around ourselves.

This Story May Give You Some Perspective On What A Refugee Has Experienced

An activist named Faz Ali from the UK, has written a response to many of the anti-refugee arguments that have been used to disuade people from being willing to allow refugees to cross government borders. Faz used documented events that happen regularly in Syria, and compiled them to tell a story that puts the reader in the shoes of the refugee. His thoughts were posted to Facebook on September 8th, long before the terrorists attacks, but while the topic of immigration and refugees was being heavily debated online.His chilling depiction of life as a refugee can be read below:

You’re 29 years old with a wife, two children and a job. You have enough money, and can afford a few nice things, and you live in a small house in the city.
Suddenly the political situation in your country changes and a few months later soldiers are gathered in front of your house. And in front of your neighbours’ houses.
They say that if you don’t fight for them, they will shoot you.
Your neighbour refuses.
One shot. That’s it.

You overhear one of the soldiers telling your wife to spread her legs.
Somehow you get rid of the soldiers and spend the night deep in thought.
Suddenly you hear an explosion. Your house no longer has a living room.
You run outside and see that the whole street is destroyed.
Nothing is left standing.

You take your family back into the house, and then you run to your parents’ house.
It is no longer there. Nor are your parents.
You look around and find an arm with your Mother’s ring on its finger. You can’t find any other sign of your parents.

~~~~~

“But asylum seekers have so many luxury goods! Smartphones, and designer clothes!”

~~~~~

You immediately forget it. You rush home, and tell your wife to get the children dressed. You grab a small bag, because anything bigger will be impossible to carry for a long time, and in it you pack essentials. Only 2 pieces of clothing each can fit in the bag.
What do you take?
You will probably never see your home country again.
Not your family, not your neighbours, your workmates…
But how can you stay in contact?

You hastily throw your smartphone and the charger in the bag.
Along with the few clothes, some bread and your small daughters favourite teddy.

~~~~~

“They can easily afford to get away. They aren’t poor!”

~~~~~

Because you could see the emergency coming, you have already scraped all your money together.
You managed to save some money because of your well paid job.
The kind people smuggler in the neighbourhood charges 5,000 euros per person.

You have 15,000 euros. With a bit of luck, you’ll all be able to go. If not, you will have to let your wife go.
You love her and pray that you the smugglers will take you all.
By now you are totally wiped out and have nothing else. Just your family and the bag.
The journey to the border takes two weeks on foot.

You are hungry and for the last week have barely eaten. You are weak, as is your wife. But at least the children have enough.
They have cried for the whole 2 weeks.
Half the time you have to carry your younger daughter. She is only 21 months old.
A further 2 weeks and you arrive at the sea.

In the middle of the night you’re loaded onto a ship with other refugees.
You are lucky: your whole family can travel.
The ship is so full that it threatens to capsize. You pray that you don’t drown.
The people around you are crying and screaming.
A few small children have died of thirst.
The smugglers throw them overboard.
Your wife sits, vacantly, in a corner. She hasn’t had anything to drink for 2 days.
When the coast is in sight, you are loaded onto small boats.
Your wife and the younger child are on one, you and your older child are on another.

You are warned to stay silent so that nobody knows you’re there.
Your older daughter understands.
But your younger one in the other boat doesn’t. She doesn’t stop crying.
The other refugees are getting nervous. They demand that your wife keeps the child quiet.
She doesn’t manage it.
One of the men grabs your daughter, rips her away from your wife and throws her overboard.
You jump in after her, but you can’t find her again.
Never again.
In 3 months she would have turned 2 years old.
Isn’t that enough for you? They still have it too good here and have everything handed to them on a plate?

You don’t know how you, your wife and your older daughter manage to get to the country that takes you in.
It’s as though everything is all foggy. Your wife hasn’t spoken a word since your daughter died.
Your older daughter hasn’t let go of her sister’s teddy and is totally apathetic.
But you have to keep going. You are just about to arrive at the emergency accommodation.
It is 10pm. A man whose language you don’t understand takes you to a hall with camp beds. There are 500 beds all very close together.

In the hall it’s stuffy and loud.
You try to get your bearings. To understand what the people there want from you.
But in reality you can barely stand up. You nearly wish that they had shot you.
Instead you unpack your meagre possessions:
Two items of clothing each and your smartphone.
Then you spend your first night in a safe country.
The next morning you’re given some clothes.
Among the donated clothes are even branded ‘label’ clothes. And a toy for your daughter.
You are given 140 euros. For the whole month.

~~~~~

“They’re safe here. Therefore they should be happy!”

~~~~~

Outside in the yard, dressed in your new clothes, you hold your smartphone high in the air and hope to have some reception.
You need to know if anyone from your city is still alive.
Then a ‘concerned citizen‘ comes by and abuses you.
You don’t know why. You don’t understand “Go back to your own country!”
You understand some things like “smartphone” and “handed everything on a plate.”
Somebody translates it for you.

~~~~~

And now tell me how you feel and what you own?
The answer to both parts of that is “Nothing.”

While this was not a first-hand account, this is what happens every single day in the middle east, and this is the type of experience that many refugees are forced to deal with. Many of the people who say that Syrians should just be sent back to where they came from are probably not considering what it would be like if they were in that situation themselves. However, it is really important to consider what life is like on the other side, and what type of conditions these people must be leaving if they are willing to endure such a dangerous trip to a strange and unwelcoming place. Hopefully, for some people who are failing to understand the struggle of the refugees, this story can help to shed some light on what they have experienced.

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John Vibes is an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. He also has a publishing company where he offers a censorship free platform for both fiction and non-fiction writers. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can purchase his books, or get your own book published at his website www.JohnVibes.com.This article (This Story May Give You Some Perspective On What A Refugee Has Experienced) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and TrueActivist.com.

“P” is for Progressor [PIIP], via Incrementally Improving and Prototyping my path and my tools and myself. “F” is for having Fun otherwise what’s the point? My method back then was to learn via PIIP, and this pertains to fun resets, backouts, reassignments--with capital intact--as new ideas are suggested, and it still is to this day.

Mobile “C” for Connector, is where I am engaging in what is alive in me by choice as opposed to programming; describing to clear and give myself room to let the enlivening connection I want with myself and others without giving in or up, to extend. “V” is For Voluntarist.